Birthday Cash for Kids?

At the party for my 10-year-old son, many of his friends came with $10 stuffed in cards. I know parents are busy, but kids giving one another cash seems funny to me.

Cash gifts have become widely accepted, although it is a bit unusual for preteens to give money. After all, one of the fun parts of childhood -- and adulthood, too! -- is tearing wrapping paper off a present to find the surprise within. But the bottom line here is the friends' parents weren't wrong, even if money isn't the norm for kids' birthday gifts. Help your son keep the cash in a safe place, and find out what he'd like to do with it -- whether it's using his funds to buy something really special or depositing the bills in the bank. Believe it or not, some kids do prefer to save.